Observational Methods reference paper






Format for Naturalistic Observation Report

1. Abstract (separate sheet of paper): Present a brief statement of the purpose of and/or the hypothesis being tested in the study, the procedure used, the results, and conclusions (100-150 words).
2. Materials and Methods: Materials can be simply listed. Methods should be written in paragraph form, complete sentences describing exactly what you did.
3. Results: Presentation of results in table and/or graph format, as well as any formal analysis performed, e.g., statistical tests, etc. Also, you should include your individual observations of both student observers.
4. Discussion: Discuss your results from the perspective of the hypothesis or purpose you posed in your introduction. Include any potential errors such as illusory correlations that may be part of your study. Also, include any improvements you might try if you were to repeat this study.
5. Conclusions: Restate the purpose/hypothesis of the study and whether or not is was met. Finally, make a first-person statement of what you learned in doing this observational study.

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